Met in the Metro

The silver streak is not just connecting the Capital’s corners, but young hearts, too.

Dating in Delhi is right on track. Now, the Metro service is no more just a mode of daily commute — for the Capital’s young and single, it’s a ticket to dating, shows the growing popularity of a new Metro commuters’ dating website.

Within just a month of its launch, the website, Metromate.in, has over 1000 users. “I met this boy on the Noida-Dwarka route. Earlier, we’d just sit opposite each other and pass shy smiles. Gradually, we connected through the website and today, we’re very much together,” says Shalini Sharma, a management professional. “It was very strange at first. But I would see this girl everyday in the same train that I took on the Red Line, and when I approached her through the site, she seemed to share my feelings. Now, we’re going out,” says Nitin Gurung, 25.So, what is it that makes the Metro Cupid’s hotspot? The proximity and sharing the same daily routine, say shrinks. “When two people travel together, there is a commonality that binds them. One starts noticing the attitude and body language — that really helps one to connect,” says Dr Jitender Nagpal, consultant psychiatrist at Moolchand Medcity.

An added catalyst is Bollywood. Blockbusters such as Shahid-Kareena starrer Jab We Met, Rani Mukerji-starrer Saathiya, Ek Chalis Ki Last Local and the evergreen hit, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, showed how heroes and heroines fell in love during a train journey, adding romance to the whole experience of taking the rail.

Apart from this, “a lot of factors, such as a common social mindset, familiarity of a face, and falling into the habit of seeing it everyday, come into play,” says Dr Sameer Parekh, psychiatrist.

“Frequent meetings lead to a certain kind of likeability that leads to relationships,” he adds.

From co-commuters to a couple ...Nidhi Kapoor, a 26-year-old insurance professional, never knew that her journey by the Delhi Metro would land her in a relationship that would last for years.

Two years ago, she met Amrit Singh, 28, on the same train that’d take her home from her office in Jhandewalan, everyday. “I noticed him the first day itself, but didn’t pay much attention. A few days into my commute, I realised that he boarded the Metro from Rajiv Chowk everyday, and we started making eye contact ... I could sense a certain familiarity, and a very comfortable one,” says Kapoor. Singh was also getting similar vibes. “Slowly, I started timing my commute such that I was sure to find Nidhi in the train. We first spoke on the pretext of discussing the Metro routes. Before we realised, it got working,” says Singh, an employee with an MNC in Connaught Place. “Our first ‘date’ was at a coffee shop at the Rajiv Chowk station. That was when he asked me out,” says Kapoor. Two years later, they’re going strong.

A Metro dating websiteSameer Suri, a Delhi-based management student has set up the portal — Metromates.in — which lets you find friends on the go. “The idea struck me after watching The Social Network. The website aims to initiate friendship between people who would otherwise exchange strange glances but never talk,” he says. Within just a month of its launch, the community already has 1000 members. It allows users to look for friends who travel on the same Metro route everyday, around the same time.

Metro dating hotspots* Mc Donald’s at Kashmere Gate station* Nirula’s right outside the Rajiv Chowk station* Barakhamba station staircases and lobbies* Sitting area near the main exit of Netaji Subhash Place Metro station* Staircase at Vishvidyalaya station